coconut connections

Klaas van der Wal

Today Friday the 25th of August 2017, my Father Klaas van der Wal, who died fighting for our Freedom, will be presented with the Mobilization War-Cross. Our Son Dan will accept the medal in honor of his Opa. In honor of my Dad I wrote this poem.
   

                            YOU ARE MY DAD, AND I AM YOUR DAUGHTER.                                                                          

You are my Dad, and I am your daughter,
Years have gone by, and memories fade,
But we never forget the price you paid.
A Jap-Prisoner of War is what they claim,
A War-Cross is all there will remain
One will never know the price you paid,
You gave of yourself, a sacrifice you made,

You are my Dad, and I am your daughter,
A child, caught between the crossfire of a battle "called life",
A senseless War, a stupid fight,
You were a Jap prisoner of war,
And the child was asking Mommy everyday ,
When is my Daddy coming home to play?.

I am your daughter, and you are my Dad,
I was only one year old,
A child , who's father on duty was called
You kissed your wife and child goodbye,
Not knowing it would be our last farewell
War drops bombs on our Hopes and Dream,
Leaves us with nightmares and lasting screams.

I am your daughter, and you are my Dad,
A father to battle he went, a Dad who never came home,
And left a wife and child, who had to go on.
A war brings sadness all around,
And husbands and fathers who die on foreign ground.
A war which creates children whitout fathers
A war brings sadness and tears for our mothers.

I am your daughter, and you are my Dad,
You paid the price, too high the cost
For mother and child too much was lost.
A mom who found it hard to say "Goodnight"
Because she knew it scared her child's mind.
With things she tried so hard to erase,
It created silence, and only grief on her face.

I am your daughter, and you are my Dad
You paid the ultimate price, too high the cost,
For father and child too much was lost.
Unknowing this child carried the scars,
Do we ever come to terms with the past?
A war will end, the living will mourn,
All for Peace but what was is it all for???

You are my Hero, my Dad, and I am your daugther
And in my tearfull eyes of sorrow,
You will always be in my thoughts today and tomorrow.
The price you paid , we will always remember,
Not only the day you died,on the battle field in September,
Today you will be honored with this tiny cross
A medal , a token , to commemorate our loss.

I am your daughter and you are my Dad,
A young man, like so many others,
Forever a heartbreak to my mother,
Can one ever understand the pain.
A war where people went insane!
A war where tears ran dry,
A question always asking WHY?
Your memory is our keepsake
With which we'll never part,
Those memories we are keeping,
Forever in our Hearts.


This poem written by Thea van der Wal to honor my father Klaas van der Wal on this special day.

My Dad died on September 18, 1943. He was a KNIL soldier. He was a POW,  he fought for our Freedom and gave his life for our Freedom..He died as a Japanese forced slave laborer, building the Birma railroad through the jungle, and died due to  exhaustion, starvation and torture.

Today August 25, 2017 my father will finally be recognised with the Mobillization War-Cross.
Lieutenant-Colonel (RNLAF) Christa Oppers-Beumer defence Military Naval and Air Attache of the embassy of  the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ottawa Canada together with Lieutinant-Colonel Oppers will present our son Dan Bisenberger with the medal of honor for his Opa.

This day will forever be a day we will never forget. With this medal we will also honor my mother, his Oma, our Hero. She risked her life to keep me, her daughter alive when we were in these horrible concentration camps for three and a half years.We were finally freed from our tyrants on August 15, 1945.

                                      LEST WE FORGET!